May 30, 2019

RhoDeo 1921 Roots

Hello, dance in paradise or dancing on the volcano take your pick, the french speaking Caribbean islands music didn't make much of a dent outside their region and France, yes that Anglophone control took care of that, even now after 2 decades of internet. Then there's this French thing of knowing best in things pertaining culture (Louis 14) it even survived the French Revolution. Well i'm not so sure they know best, releasing a live album and a best of at the same time with the same title Kassav' - Chire  Douvan is beyond bizarre for me, but then i'm not French.


Today's artists is a band from the West Indies created in Guadeloupe in 1979. Their name means cassava (cassava pancake) in Creole.  Their music revolutionized Caribbean music, and helped promote it outside the borders of France and the Caribbean as they have played on five continents.  They gave concerts in Congo-Brazzaville as well as in Senegal, the United States, Japan and even the USSR, becoming the first "black" band to play there.. .......N'Joy

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Zouk is a contemporary dance music of the Caribbean that uses both traditional and high-tech musical resources. It is based on interlocking rhythmic and melodic patterns rather than a dense sound where all instruments are played simultaneously. It is connected to a number of Caribbean musical styles such as biguine, merengue, compass direct, cadence, guaguancó, and danzon. Like all of these musical styles, in zouk, rhythm is one of the most significant elements. There are many musical influences on zouk, and the differences between borrowed styles are often smoothed over rather than accentuated. Strong beats are reinforced and the syncopated bass pattern, like that of salsa or funk, is not used. The timbre of the music (its color, the different ways music "sounds") are a vital element in zouk. By using the technical resources available to musicians today, sound can be manipulated to make the familiar sound new. The sound of the conga may be manipulated electronically to give it a variety of sounds. A drum set may receive the same treatment with some parts of the set being left "natural" while others are altered. A basic rule of zouk is to create space in the music by avoiding an overwhelming density of simultaneous parts, allowing the insertion of interesting sounds into the "holes" that are created. Zouk instrumentation usually includes a brass section, two synthesizers, guitar, and bass, and a rhythm section that includes a gourd shaker, conga, drum set, and tumba. The bass line is more than a rhythmic or harmonic instrument, having taken on more of a melodic function. Of the two synthesizers, one acts as a percussion instrument, reproducing what the percussion instruments do, while the other inserts melodic lines at strategic locations. The guitar plays melodic riffs (short repeated melodic phrases) rather than strumming chords, and is also used for solos. The brass section plays in unison, rarely soloing, and is sometimes used to set up counterpoint to the main melody.


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Kassav 'is considered as the creator of the style zouk desired] by its period of appearance and its new style for the time. Originally, the group decided to renew, modernize and remove from their folk image the carnival root (drum) music they always played. The band combines influences of Kompa, salsa, reggae to the sound rock of the late 1970s, the rhythms of the biguine and merengue.Before the birth of the group, existed mainly as musical styles in Guadeloupe and Martinique:

   
The story of Kassav 'begins in 1979 with Pierre-Édouard Decimus, professional musician in an orchestra (The Vikings of Guadeloupe) dance since the 1960s, and Freddy Marshall. Between 1979 and 1983 several singers will test the machine to zouker.  In 1979, the group's mainstays were Jacob Desvarieux, Georges and Pierre-Edouard Decimus and Freddy Marshall with songs.
 At the release of their second album in 1980, we can hear Jocelyne Béroard in chorus on the title Sun, title it will resume in the album Vini Pou in 1987. In 1981, Christophe Zadire left the band for personal reasons, the band welcomed Jean-Claude Naimro on keyboards and Jean-Philippe Marthély on vocals.  In 1982, it is the shy Patrick Saint-Eloi who joins the group and imposes from then on like Creole lover and will lead a parallel career in parallel.  In 1983, the final mount of the group is made.  Jocelyne, Jean-Philippe and Patrick with vocals, Jacob with guitars and vocals, Jean-Claude on keyboards, Georges on bass, Claude Vamur on drums.  In addition, the group uses two dancers: Catherine Laupa and Marie-Josée Gibon and also to a section of copper which is the particularity of Kassav '

 In 1984, Jacob and George released the album Yélélé with the tube Zouk se sèl médikaman nou which will propel the group to the rank of the greatest [4].  In 1985, it is the first Zenith of the group without the help of the media. That same year, three albums were released An ban chenn by Kassav, An ba latè by Jean-Claude Naimro and an untitled album by Patrick and Jean-Philippe. A year later in 1986, the female voice of the group released her album Siwo [5] which became the first gold record for a Caribbean singer.  It then follows a second tour at the Zenith of Paris and in Africa. In 1987, the Kassav 'machine released a new album, Vini for which will be platinum after two weeks.  On this album, we find many tubes tinged with an African sound like Syé Bwa, Vini pou. At the end of 1988, the band decided to gather all the Caribbean artists in vogue for two concerts under the name of Grand Méchant Zouk.  In 1989, the group is ten years old and for that, a new album is created Majestick zouk and the Zenith is invested three nights in a row for birthday concerts.

 In 1990, Kassav 'organized the second Big Bad Zouk, a concept initiated two years earlier. In 1991, Georges Decimus left the group and was replaced by Frédéric Caracas.  The group also uses choristers to replace Catherine Laupa and Marie-Josée Gibon who will not limit themselves to choreography.  The particularity of these singers is that they come from the English-speaking islands of Trinidad and Tobago.  That same year, Jocelyne released her second solo album titled Milans. 1993 sees the temporary departure of Jean-Claude Naimro, who is going on a world tour with Peter Gabriel.  He is replaced by Thierry Vaton.  In 1995, an important turnover occurred due to the change of manager of the group.  César Durcin left the band and was replaced by Patrick Saint-Elie, a Martinique percussionist.  Douglas Mbida is replaced by the young pianist Philippe Joseph.  Guy Nsangé succeeds Frédéric Caracas on bass.  The biggest change is mainly in the copper section: Claude Romano's trombone starts, Claude Thirifays on saxophones and Jean-Pierre Ramirez on trumpet.  Fabrice Adam, a young trumpet player joined the group in 1994, and Claude Pironneau, saxophonist joined the group from 1998 for some time and finally from 1999 during the group's 20 years in Bercy. It is also the year of the release of their twelfth studio album Difé with many guests such as Manu Katché on drums, Steevie Wonder on harmonica.  A tour will follow with a visit to the Zenith in March 1996.

 1996 is also the release of the album Marthéloi, Marthély and PSE, which succeeds to the Bizness concept in 1985. A year later, Jean-Claude Naimro releases his second solo album Digital dreads in which he invites his friends to  interpret songs.  1998 is the release of two solo albums: Lovtans from PSE and O Péyi from Marthély.  And the band releases an album with Latin sounds a Latin hat where they revisit their greatest hits in Spanish. In 1999, Kassav 'celebrates its 20th birthday in Bercy for 2 days: 32,000 spectators came to attend the concerts.  A year later, the band released their thirteenth studio album Nou la.

 In 2002, it was Patrick Saint-Eloi's turn to leave the group to devote himself to his solo career after 20 years of collaboration within the group.  This is also the year when he produced a last solo album with Kassav, titled Swing Karaib.The solo projects continue the following year, with the release of Jocelyne's third solo album, Madousinay, with a vibrant tribute to Edith Lefel who died in January of the same year.  As for Jacob, he participated in the success of the concept Say time zouk with Passi. In 2004, Georges Decimus returned to the band for the release of the 14th album.  Their song Kolé Séré was featured by Jimmy Buffett.  In 2005, Carnaval tour is the name of a Kassav tour. In 2006, the third edition of GMZ (Grand Méchant Zouk) is organized in Bercy with all the new generation of artists.  It will be a mixed success. Between the tours, the solo projects, Kassav 'meets again in 2007 to present their latest opus, All u need is zouk, which is an almost literal translation of zouk the medikaman nou ni.  Fourteen titles that speak of history, of life simply.Il follows a tour that will make them go through the Zenith in July 2008 as part of the All u need is zouk tour.

On May 16, 2009, Kassav 'celebrated its 30th anniversary at the Stade de France, in front of 65,000 people, with Admiral T in the first part.  A hundred artists accompanied them including Tony Chasseur, Jean-Luc Guanel, Jocelyne Labylle, Princess Lover and Tanya Saint-Val and Congolese Fally Ipupa.  It is also the departure of Claude Vamur after 27 years of collaboration.  Hervé Laval is acting before the group gives the chance to a young drummer Thomas Bellon.  Kassav 'becomes at the same time the first French group to have played at the Stade de France.
In 2011, Kassav 'organizes the 4th edition of Grand Méchant Zouk and fills the Zenith two nights in a row.  The operation is renewed in June 2012. Jocelyne Béroard organizes her first solo concert at Olympia, which has already hosted Patrick, Edith Lefel and Tanya Saint-Val. They are in concert on 7, 8 and 9 June 2013 at the Zenith of Paris for the launch of the Mawonaj tour consecutive tour at the release of the album Sonjé on May 13th.  He pays tribute to Patrick Saint-Eloi and returns to the sources of zouk.  Kassav loses his apostrophe because according to the words of Jocelyne Béroard, it is not very correct in Creole writing.

 2013 is also the year in which, for the first time, the group performed at the Olympia on 8 and 15 December to close their Mawonaj'tour on the metropolitan territory. The sixth edition of Grand Méchant Zouk took place on October 4, 2014 at the Zenith of Paris. On February 11, 2016, the former percussionist of the group, César Durcin dies at the age of 58 following a long illness. On May 27th, 28th and 29th 2016, Kassav 'performed for the last time in his favorite theater, the Zenith of Paris before a new world tour "Chiré Douvan Tour". On October 20, 2017, on the occasion of the seven years of Patrick Saint Eloi's death, Kassav 'is organizing a special edition of Grand Méchant Zouk where many artists have come to perform Patrick's repertoire. On June 16, 2018, Jocelyne Béroard will be performing at La Cigale in Paris for a solo concert before preparations for the 40th anniversary.




 Kassav - Vini Pou    (flac  296mb)

01 Syé Bwa 4:38
02 Flash' 5:00
03 Souf' Zouk 4:25
04 Rosa 4:00
05 Soleil 4:28
06 Ayen Pa Mol 4:13
07 Zot' Vini Pou 5:01
08 Es' Sé An La Fet' 3:52
09 Zou 5:05
10 Palé Mwen Dous' 4:30


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 Kassav - Tekit Izi    (flac  274mb)

01 Ay Mano 4:14
02 Lévé Tèt' Ou 4:08
03 Fabiola 4:21
04 Ba Nou Zouk La 4:20
05 An Nou Tripé 4:07
06 Mwen Alé 4:08
07 Lan Mori Ki Ni 4:27
08 An Sèl Zouk 4:11
09 Mwen Viré 3:51
10 Ou Chanjé 4:01

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Kassav' - Chire  Douvan 1    (flac  555mb)

01 Zouk-la Sé Sel Médikaman Nou Ni6:24
02 Filé Zétwal5:23
03 Chawa 4:43
04 La'w Vlé 3:57
05 Ayé4:26
06 En Balaté 4:40
07 Mwen Malad'aw 5:07
08 Zouke 6:02
09 Kolé Séré 4:45
10 Abò Léwo 3:48
11 Bel Kréati 4:52
12 Se Ou Mwen Inme 3:26
13 Konsa An Yé 4:11
14 Banzawa 6:45
15 Mové jou 5:24
16 Kléré ich-ou 5:15


Kassav' - Chire  Douvan 1  (ogg 184mb)

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Kassav' - Chire  Douvan 2    (flac  525mb)

01 Tim-Tim Bwa Sek 4:25
02 Oh Madiana 4:41
03 Gorée 4:32
04 An-Ba-Chen'n La 5:13
05 Doubout Pikan 3:57
06 San Ayen 4:57
07 Ti Tak Isi 3:50
08 Bizness 5:04
09 An Mouvman 4:59
10 Milans 3:52
11 Soulajé Yo 5:20
12 Ou Pa Ka Sav 5:52
13 Siwo 4:30
14 Zouk Party 4:26
15 Mwen Anvi'w 4:33
16 Pa Bizwen Palé 4:48
17 Pou Zot 4:13

Kassav' - Chire  Douvan 2  (ogg  194mb)

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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

"Vini Pou" was the first Kassav's album I bought, in tape format. I have a lot of memories linked to their music and it is consequently a pleasure to see them appear in your Blog. It is true that they represent some kind of an "Institution" from the success they achieved.

Thanks a lot for this post. I'm sure I will go to the CD one day, but since years, I always have something more urgent in my list!
I appreciated too much the quality...